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Bharulata Kamble, the first Indian woman who drove solo through from the United Kingdom to India through the Arctic Circle, will be in India from December 19. She will meet several political leaders including the Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi. Indian-born British national, Bharulata Kamble (43) had covered 35,000 kms in 57 days covering 32 countries, 9 mountain ranges and 3 major deserts and 9 time zones spreading the message of “”save girls, educate girls”” and promoted woman empowerment.

Born in Navsari district of Gujarat, Bharulata is the first Indian woman who hoisted the Indian flag in the Arctic Circle. In India she travelled across 12 States entering from the Imphal border and completing her journey in Maharashtra via Gujarat. The journey included 5,500 kms of mountain desert areas, driving reaching the altitude of 3,700-4000 metres above sea level, and driving 2,500 kms through desert areas. This journey will be recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records authorities.  She drove on an average of 700 km every day, and 400 km per day in mountainous areas. On certain days she had driven around 1400 kms in one day and 20-22 hours if driving. She drove from Patna to Delhi 1100 kms in one day in her way to Delhi.

“”I have done my schooling in a village school in Navsari and rose to do a degree in Law. But, it was an incident in childhood that deeply impacted me,âÂÂâ Bharulata told Theindiasaga.com over phone. A fatherless child, Bharulata had once overheard an argument between her mother and her maternal family during which the family described girls “”as stones on the path who can be kicked by anyone.”” Therefore, she dedicated my journey to girls and raise funds to build healthcare facilities in India for poor women.

“”I could never forget this and decided at that moment to prove my worth. I got a degree in law. My husband is a doctor in UK. Driving was a passion with me and I always wanted to drive to India but my dream suffered a setback when I met a bad accident in 2007. More than the physical injury, the accident resulted in trauma which lasted for more than four-and-a-half-years,”” she said.

It was in 2013 when her therapist asked her about her dream. Bharulata had then shared her dream of driving down to India but added that keeping in mind her condition she would never be able to fulfill it. The therapist encouraged her to pursue her dream which took several years to fulfill. “”Initially, my family was not too keen on my taking up the trip because of the accident but I had made up my mind and eventually got their full support. I began my journey on September 13, 2016.””

Upon reaching New Delhi, Bharulata Kamble was personally welcomed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on reaching her final destination Maharashtra she was personally welcomed by the Chief Minister Mr Devender Fadnavis.

Bharulata began her solo car journey on 13th September 2016 from the United Kingdon to India via the Arctic Circle. She completed her first record on 28th September 2016 to become the first woman in the world to undertake and completely solo car driving expedition in the Arctic Circle. This expedition was without any back up team, crew or back up vehicle. She drove 2,792 km in Arctic Circle and became the first woman in the world to drive longest distance in the Arctic Circle.

She also became the first woman driver in the world to complete a transcontinental and the Arctic Circle car journey alone and the first woman in the world to visit most countries in only 57 days. She had managed to secure support of the then Prime Minister David Cameroon, many peers from the House of Lords, Members of the Commons, many British-Asian organizations, faith leaders and members of general public in UK.

“”I could overcome the difficulties such as hostile weather conditions, lonely roads, rules and regulations in different countries due to my will power. My husband, too, encouraged and backed me in this endeavour,”” she said. The journey would be compiled in the form of a book “”My Transcontinental Odyssey””, documenting the epic journey.”